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Vale of the White Horse
Topic Started: 5 Jan 2010, 13:03 (19,402 Views)
Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
It was an abrupt exit, without even so much as a by-your-leave, and she stared at the empty spot he'd left behind. And she still didn't know his name! Nor did he know hers, she realized. This was by far the strangest, most difficult conversation she'd ever had. She slowly finished her drink, then got up and retreated to her room.

-

'I apologize,' he said again, more quietly this time. It was getting more difficult to maintain his tenuous grip on himself. 'It's probably not what you expected from a marriage, and I do wish it could have been different.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
There was no use in denying this, Briallen thought. He was not rude, nor unfriendly exactly, but he made her feel uneasy. If only she could go home now, with Braegne making a herbal tea for her to still the nerves. But this is home now, she told herself. Briallen swallowed, feeling something close to tears in her throat. ‘I have heard you have been married twice before?’
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Sonja
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If there was one topic he did not want to talk about, it was that. 'Yes,' he said curtly and took a bite of food, glancing sideways at Briallen. She looked ill at ease. He couldn't blame her. The room suddenly twitched and bobbed up and down. Tudwrig quickly closed his eyes and took a few deep breaths.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'My lord?' She had upset him, Briallen thought alarmed. For a moment he looked like he was going to snap at her; the next, she thought he might slide off his chair. He did neither, but the little colour that had returned to his face after eating drained before her eyes. 'You're still unwell,' she muttered. 'I'm sorry. I shouldn't be asking that.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Please, just...Tudwrig,' he managed. 'It's fine. I'm fine.' But he wasn't. Damn it, and for a moment he had felt like he could have kept control for just a little while longer. With difficulty, he opened his eyes to look at Briallen and hoped he hadn't scared her. Though if he hadn't, it would only be a matter of time before he did.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
‘If you’re certain…’ she answered, not quite certain herself. He must have been unwell all along, forcing himself out to dine with her. She looked down on her hands. ‘If you need to retreat, then you can do so, my lo – Tudwrig. Perhaps with some more rest you will be fit to discuss the treaty tomorrow. I have the document with me myself.’
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
He nodded - it felt like he was trying to move the castle with his bare hands. 'That's - that's good, Briallen. I certainly hope to see you soon. If there is anything you need - anything at all - you may tell Eiluned. Please, excuse me now.' After the last words, he was quite breathless and it was all he could do to stand up. He managed a small nod of his head in goodbye, then disappeared through the door, out into the hallway.
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Marieke
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She was left to watch him go with unease and pity. Her appetite had quite disappeared. 'Come on, Braegne,' Briallen muttered. 'I wish to retreat now. I'm tired.'
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Sonja
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'Yes, my lady,' Braegne said quietly and got up, looking around. No one seemed particularly surprised that the lord had disappeared so suddenly.
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Marieke
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She hastened back to her room - the room that still felt unfamiliar but would be hers at least until she and Tudwrig were joined in wedlock. She tried to keep her chin up and her back straight, but after the door had closed, she sunk down on the bed. 'This is unsettling.'
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Sonja
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'It will be all right,' Braegne said with an encouraging smile. 'You should get some rest, it has been a long day. Tomorrow, I'm sure things will look that much brighter to you.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'If he'd been any paler, he'd be giving off light like the moon,' Briallen said, shivering. 'But you're right. Please, get my night clothes, Braegne. I think there's one change left. The other was soaked when the horse slipped in the river.' She closed the shutter of the window herself. It was still summer, but up here it was chilly. She took the letter from her uncle and put it on the storage chest. 'If he signs tomorrow, we'll be as good as married.'
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Sonja
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'I'm sure he will be a little more romantic about it,' Braegne said and layed out the clothes Briallen had asked for. 'I'll bring the rest of your clothes to the washing room straight away, so that you will have them in the morning.'
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Marieke
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'You're so sure about a lot of things,' Briallen said, but smiled. 'After you've brought my clothes there, go and sleep yourself. I will see you in the morning.'
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Sonja
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'Yes, my lady. Good night, and dream well.' Braegne smiled and gathered Briallen's clothes in her arms, then slipped out of the door and through the hallways, to the washing room.
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Aeronwy got up from her knees and wiped the sweat off her forehead, which gave her pale skin a brown twist. It matched the outfit she was wearing; a simple, brown tunic, a skirt that was supposed to reach her ankles, but only went as far as her knees on one side and half way her calves, both covered in dirt. Her feet were bare and callous, perfectly fit for walking long distance journeys. She thanked the goddess in a quick, muttered prayer. She covered the spot by shoveling some dirt over it with her foot, making sure the symbol was completely wiped out. She didn´t want people to follow her all the way up here. Her bag was waiting for her, patiently, beneath an old oak. Aeronwy grabbed it, hung it over her shoulders and smiled. She was very close now.

Although it was already dark, Aeronwy decided not to stop find a resting spot. She´d been told there was a small settlement close by, and therefor she would walk until she got there. Fastpaced and selfconfident, Aeronwy started walking. She liked walking better than horseback riding. Walking kinda freed her mind from things and she liked the exercise.

As usual, she reached her goal without even realizing she´d already been walking that long. She thanked the goddess with a silent prayer and started searching for a place to stay, as she´d been told to do.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
The next morning, Eiluned was up before dawn as usual and started her tasks for the day. Aside from these, she had also gotten orders from Tudwrig concerning his marriage, and she was to show Briallen around the castle to prepare her for taking up her duties.
'Goodmorning, Ithel,' she greeted the cook as she entered the kitchen. He grunted in reply, stirring in a large pot. 'Habren will take care of the supplies today, as I will be busy explaining all to lady Briallen.'
Ithel only nodded as an indication that he'd heard and Eiluned turned around. On her way to the courtyard, she met Braegne, who was on her way to Briallen's room. Eiluned smiled kindly at the girl and told her that her lady's clothes were clean and lay in the washing room still.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
She had woken early. It was impossible to sleep in this unfamiliar bed, between these four walls she had never seen before. She wondered if she would see Tudwrig today. He had seemed very ill last evening, for all his effort to make a good impression. Briallen had to appreciate this; had to feel a certain pity for him as well. But if she was going to marry a sickly man, whom she’d never see, how would she bear it her entire life? He’d expect children of her, he would have one or two good nights even if he suffered the rest of the day, she assumed. To share the bed with a man she had only seen two, three times seemed a ridiculous thing to do. But she would have to do it regardless.
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Sonja
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Braegne shifted Briallen's now clean clothes to one arm and knocked on the door of her bedroom. 'I've brought your clothing, my lady,' she said and opened the door, stepping inside. Briallen was awake and sitting on the edge of your bed. Braegne smiled at her.
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Thanks, Braegne.'
She dressed herself in a more common garb; the light blue one would be reserved for special occasions mostly. She donnen a knitted wrapper; it might be summer outside, but Caer March was chilly during the early hours. 'Will you accompany me to breakfast? I don't suppose my betroothed is there.' The last, she added with a sigh.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'I will,' Braegne said and put the other clothes away, sorting them neatly by season. 'Well, perhaps he had a good night's rest and will be there?' she suggested. 'Either way, you'll have a busy day ahead. And I heard from another maid that Eiluned was already giving orders to prepare for your wedding.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Ah. Good.'
It didn't sound like she was finding it good at all, Briallen realized. 'Well, the sooner I'm familiar with the runnings of Caer March, the sooner our lives will be back to a normal standard. Come on, I'm hungry.'
When they came down the small dining hall, there was no one at the higher table. She sat down awkwardly, glad to have Braegne for company at least. As her breakfast was brought in, she let her eyes sweep across the hall. The stones were of a dark structure. There were rooms, and sunlight spilled in through them, but they could not quite hide that this place had a gloomy air about it. Warm tapestries hung down the walls, just like in her bed chamber. After finishing her food, she walked down. Gazes follwed her, but she tried to ignore it. From closeby, the tapestries seemed a bit sorry. 'Look at the dust,' she muttered at Braegne. 'And the frays. They must have been beautiful once; they're certainly expertly woven. But it needs cleaning badly.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Yesterday in the washing room I've heard that there aren't very many people living here,' Braegne said quietly. 'There certainly aren't enough servants to keep everything spotless.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Yes,' Briallen sad, touching the heavy fabric with her fingers. 'Things are different here.' She'd like to clean the tapestries, she thought. It was hardly possible to discern the pictures, and the colours were beginning to fade on this one. 'He must have loved them, though, to keep them here despite the waning quality.'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
Eiluned found Briallen discussing the tapestries with her handmaid and smiled as she walked up to the pair. 'Good morning, my lady. I hope you slept well?'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'Well enough, thank you. I...suppose you want to show me around?' She managed a smile.
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
'Yes,' Eiluned said briskly. 'Lord Tudwrig felt quite well this morning, so he may be down for lunch. I thought it'd be best to have showed you all the rooms, at least. Will your maid be coming?'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'I think Braegne can have some time off if I'm with you, Eiluned,' she answered softly. 'I'm glad that lord Tudwrig feels better. He seemed really pale during supper. Does he have a physician?'
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Sonja
Red & dangerous! Rawr!
She nodded, and Braegne made a little bow before she walked away. 'I take care of him from day to day,' Eiluned answered and gestured to Briallen to follow her while she made her way to the courtyard, where supplies came in daily. 'There hasn't been a physician necessary for quite some time.'
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Marieke
Lief! <3 (and powerful!)
'But,' Briallen pressed on carefully, following the brisk woman into the courtyard, 'I'm sure there must be some way to ease the headaches? Braegne makes wonderful herbal draughts; they always soothe my monthly cramps. Perhaps something like that will help for lord Tudwrig.'
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